Rapid growth in the international school sector means the demand for highly qualified teachers is continuing to grow all over the world.

We know that finding relevant information about the qualifications required for international teaching roles can be hard – so we’ve created this guide to point you in the right direction.

There are various international training and development options for you to choose from, and the route you choose can vary considerably based on a number of factors – the type of school, the country, the curriculum and the education rules and regulation in the region.

The scenarios below are designed to give you an idea of the recognised teaching qualifications that are available and to help you decipher what might suit you best.

However, we highly recommend that you independently research the requirements for the country you are interested in moving to and that you contact a few schools in the region before making a decision on what qualification to pursue.

Scenario one: you’re working abroad and you already hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

QTS is the accepted standard to work as a teacher in England – fortunately, the qualification can also take you overseas.

British Schools Overseas (BSO) accredited schools and many other international schools recognise and accept QTS – and with schools covering almost every corner of the globe, your qualification could take you as far afield as Turkey, Thailand or even Madagascar!

If there’s no BSO school in the location you’re hoping to move to or the school doesn't recognise QTS, then gaining an additional qualification, like an International Postgraduate Certificate in Education (iPGCE), could be useful. Our iPGCE is a recognised level 7 postgraduate academic qualification that could give you the opportunity to teach in a wider range of international schools.

We also offer a Hong Kong iPGCE, designed to help educators working in Hong Kong prepare to apply for teaching registration there.

Find out more about: iPGCE | Hong Kong iPGCE

Scenario two: you’re currently working in an international school, teaching the English National curriculum, but you don’t hold a formal teaching qualification

You may already be working in an international school, teaching the English National curriculum without a formal teaching qualification. If this is the case, you could gain QTS without leaving your current school and ultimately increase your salary, teaching responsibilities and career opportunities.

You can achieve this through our unique Straight to Teaching programme, which allows Teaching Assistants and other school staff who already have teaching experience to build evidence against the Teachers’ Standards before being assessed and awarded QTS.

However, if you already have at least two years of teaching experience, our Assessment Only route might suit you better. It enables you to up-skill, gain QTS and become a qualified teacher in as little as 12 weeks – and at a lower cost.

Find out more about: Straight to Teaching | Assessment Only 

Scenario three: you’re working abroad and you have a PGCE but you don’t hold QTS

Many teachers working overseas may have already gained a PGCE qualification but might not hold Qualified Teachers Status. If you’re planning to return to England or Wales in the future, you could find holding QTS extremely valuable.

If you're teaching the English curriculum, you can gain QTS with 91¶¶Òõ Institute while you’re still working and earning overseas with our Straight to Teaching or Assessment Only programmes.

Find out more about: Straight to Teaching | Assessment Only 

Scenario four: you’re currently working in an English speaking international school with no formal teaching qualification

For those working in an English speaking school that follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge (CIE) programme, you may be eligible to undertake an iPGCE.

You might be employed as an unqualified teacher or a Teaching Assistant, or be volunteering at the school – but as long as you meet the entry requirements, you should be able to complete your iPGCE and increase your teaching responsibilities.

This in turn would help you in future to move between different international schools in different countries.

If you are working in a school in Hong Kong, you may be eligible for our Hong Kong iPGCE, which prepares you to apply to become a registered teacher there.

Find out more about: iPGCE | Hong Kong iPGCE

Scenario five: you currently have a TEFL/CELTA teaching qualification

If you’re teaching English as a foreign language abroad and you want to further your teaching career with an internationally recognised Master’s level qualification, our iPGCE could be your best option.

It consists of two core modules that blend applied teaching theory with practice, focusing on the relevant aspects of the professional role of a teacher as well as the aligned Teachers’ Standards.

It’s important to note that the iPGCE qualification doesn’t lead to Qualified Teacher Status but it does help you to prepare a portfolio of evidence against The Teachers’ Standards. This means that once you return to the UK you would be able to gain QTS with 91¶¶Òõ Institute (at a discounted rate), through our Assessment Only route.

To find out more about our iPGCE, Hong Kong iPGCE, Straight to Teaching or Assessment Only, simply contact one of our enrolment advisors.